Naturally conceived triplets in Singapore

SINGAPORE – While they were dating, Mr Mohammed Jahafar, 35, once wrote his wife a letter, calling her his sun, moon and star, a testament to the depth of his love for her.

So when the couple learnt they were expecting naturally conceived triplets, a celestial theme for their names felt apt.

Their conception felt like a miracle, said Ms Sumaya Jahan, a 32-year-old teacher.

Today, the triplets are three years old – two of them girls.

The eldest is a boy named Zachariah Elio. Elio is derived from Helios, the Greek god of the sun. 

The older girl is Elara, and Elara is one of the moons of the planet Jupiter.

The youngest, a girl, is named Sidra, which is derived from a Latin word that means star.

For his 30th birthday, Ms Sumaya had given her husband a card that featured three puppies.

“I wrote: let’s make our own litter,” she recalled, teasing him.

Little did she know that just a year later, her playful line would become a reality, when they learnt she was expecting triplets. 

Mr Jaharfar, a marketing and communications manager, said they had originally wanted to have just one child to devote their full attention and resources to him or her.

But life had other plans.

Before becoming pregnant, Ms Sumaya had surgery to remove polyps in her womb after a fertility check.

Her pregnancy symptoms, including nausea and fatigue, were severe, and she suspected she was carrying twins – a likely possibility as she has a pair of twin brothers, and twins run in her family.

She said: “I asked Dr Janice if it’s twins (during the ultrasound).

“Dr Janice said: ‘I don’t see two. And she laughed a bit and said: ‘I see three’.

“I was just speechless.”

Dr Janice Tung, IVF Specialist at Thomson Fertility Singapore (Paragon), is Ms Sumaya’s gynaecologist.

Mr Jahafar said he was even more shocked by the news.

He feared for his wife’s safety carrying three babies, and was also worried about finances.

Thankfully, the pregnancy went smoothly, though she had gestational diabetes and another condition that caused itching, which required medicine.

She delivered by C-section in her 33rd week of pregnancy at the KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital in 2022.

At birth, Elio weighed 1.6 kg, Elara was 1.7 kg, and Sidra was 1.9 kg.

Conceiving triplets naturally is extremely rare. Dr Tung said the chances are estimated to be between one in 10,000 to as rare as one in a million.

An analysis of data from 1994 to 2024 by The Straits Times based on the annual report on registration of births and deaths, showed that the number of triplets has fallen significantly over the years.

From 2015 to 2024, 86 sets of triplets were born – about half the 177 sets recorded in the previous decade between 2005 and 2014.

Among other reasons, doctors attribute the decline to the fact that many couples transfer just one embryo during IVF, given that advances in IVF laboratory techniques have improved pregnancy rates. 

The first six months after the babies were born were the most challenging for the couple, as they adjusted to life as new parents and raising triplets.

Ms Sumaya said she was feeding them every two hours, and it felt like all her time was spent making sure they were fed.

The hardest moments came when they fell ill, as one child’s sickness would spread to the others, and each wanted their mother to carry and comfort them.

“But I have only two hands. I think most parents of multiples would know this, like sometimes they push their other siblings away (so you can carry them),” she said.

They initially had two domestic helpers, and Ms Sumaya’s mother also helped out. But with the trio attending infant care now, the couple manages with just one helper.

The couple said each child has a distinct personality.

Ms Sumaya said: “Elio is very independent, and he’s a cool cat. He’s a chill and sensitive child. Sidra is cheerful and nurturing, and she likes to take care of her siblings.

“Elara is the leader and quite a conversationalist. She’s very mature in the way she thinks.”

When they go out with the children, the most common question they are asked by strangers is: are the children twins?

She said: “I think for the older folks, triplets are very foreign to them.”

Everyone also assumed they were conceived through IVF, the couple added.

She said of having triplets: “The joy is so special. To know that you are one of the rare few to experience such an experience.”